Organic and local food consumer behaviour: Alphabet Theory

L. Zepeda and D. Deal

Abstract
Semi-structured interviews are conducted to understand why consumers buy organic and/or local foods.

The interview findings are consistent with existing theoretical frameworks for explaining environmentally significant behaviour: Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory and Attitude-Behaviour-Context (ABC) theory.

Findings show that organic food shoppers in particular are motivated by values, beliefs and the creation of norms. However, the interviews indicate that knowledge (K), information seeking (IS) and habit (H) are also important in understanding why consumers choose organic and local foods.

Incorporating demographics (D) as well, the resulting VBN-ABC-D-K-IS-H or ‘Alphabet Theory’ is presented as a new framework to explain organic and local food purchase behaviour.


Source
International Journal of Consumer Studies (2009) 33: 697-705
DOI: 10.1111/j.1470-6431.2009.00814.x


Author Locations and Affiliations
Department of Consumer Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
* Corresponding author, E-mail lzepeda@wisc.edu


Posted May 2011